Case for vials, &amp;c.



E. B. CHAPMAN. CASE FOR VIALS, 6w. 7 APPLICATION FILED IEB.6, 1911.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Inventor- EUeWaffljCfiajmmn NTTED TAS PAT rare EVERETT B. CHAPMAN, 0F MARLBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RANDALL- FAICHNEY COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

Application filed. February 6, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVERETT B. CHAPMAN, of Marlboro, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cases for Vials, &.c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its objectto provide a case adapted to contain in compact form a number of vials or other articles of similar general form in close proximity to each other, and to enable the stored articles to be securely confined against loose movement in any direction, and either article to be selectively released and partially proj ected from the case so that it may be readily removed therefrom.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification,-Figure 1 represents a plan view of a single or onepart case embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing also another case part which is a duplicate of that shown in Fig. 1 and is hinged thereto, the case being closed. Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the case open and one of the vials released. Fig. 4: represents a perspective view of the part which comprises a resilient stop and ejecting spring, hereinafter described. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 represents a section on line 66 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of a portion of the holding-down guide, hereinafter described.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents a case which is preferably one part of a double or two-part case composed of two members 12 which are duplicates of each other and are hinged together at 13. As all the features of my invention are embodied in one of the case members 12 a description of the same will be sufficient for the present purpose. The case 12 is preferably of rectangular form and may be made of sheet metal or any other suitable material, its form being such that it is adapted to contain a row of vials 14: such as are used to contain medicine, or any other articles of like general form.

15 represents a plate which extends paral- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Serial No. 606,792.

lel with one of the side walls of the case and is in close proximity thereto, said plate containing a series of orifices 16 each adapted to receive the inner end of a vial 14 and permit the vial to slide endwise toward and from the adjacent wall of the case, the wall ofeach orifice 16 constituting a guide for holding down the inner end of the vial so that said end cannot move toward and from the bottom of the case, the said guide permitting the endwise and swinging movements of the vial which are necessary to insert and remove it.

Near the wall of the case, opposite that adjacent to the plate 15, are arranged a series of resilient stops 17 corresponding in number and position to the orifices16 in the plate 15. Each stop is a resilient metal plate or ear suitably attached as by rivets 18 to the bottom of the case 12 and project ing outwardly therefrom far enough to bear against the outer end or cap of a vial 14 and prevent endwise movement of the vial in the direction required to withdraw its inner end from the orifice 16. The stop 17 is provided with a shoulder 19 projecting from its inner side and adapted to engage the outer end or cap of the vial and hold the same in the position indicated by Fig. 2, against outward movement. The shoulder 19 is preferably integral with the stop arm 17 and formed by slitting the material of said arm and bending out a portion of said material to form the shoulder 19, said shoulder being preferably curved to conform to the curvature of the vial on which it bears, and thus prevent sidewise movement of that end of the vial.

To the bottom of the case 12 are attached a series of ejecting or lifting springs 20, corresponding in number and position with the stop 17. Each spring 20 is preferably formed in the same piece with a stop arm 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that the same rivets secure both the stop arm and the spring to the bottom of the case. The spring 20 is formed and arranged to be held under tension against the bottom of the case by a vial 14, the outer end of which is engaged by a shoulder 19, as shown by Fig. 2.

It may now be seen that a vial may be securely held in place in the case by first inserting its inner end into an orifice 16 and then pressing its outer end downwardly until the shoulder 19 snaps over it, the spring 20 being at the same time forced downwardly against the bottom of the case and thus put under tension.

When it is desired to remove a vial the stop arm 17 engaged therewith is sprung backwardly, thus disengaging the shoulder 19 from the vial, whereupon the spring 20 acts to swing the outward end of the vial outwardly, as shown by Fig. 3, so that it may be conveniently grasped and removed from the case. Provision is therefore made for securely holding a plurality of vials or similar articles in a case and for conveniently removing any one of the vials from the case.

I claim:

1. A case for vials, etc., having fixed means near one of its side walls for guiding and holding down the inner end of a vial, displaceable means adjacent to the op posite side wall for preventing endwise movement of the vial away from the firstmentioned wall, and outward movement of the outer end of the vial, and intermediate means for automatically lifting the outer end of the vial when said end is released.

2. A case for Vials, etc., having a guide for holding down the inner end of a vial and permitting endwise and outward swinging movements of the vial, a resilient stop adapted to bear on the outer end of the vial and prevent its endwise movement in one direction, said stop having means for holding down the outer end of the vial, and a lifting spring adapted to exert outward pressure on the vial between its ends and swing its outer end outwardly when said end is released by the stop.

3. A case for vials, etc., having a fixed plate near one of its side walls provided with apertures to receive and guide the inner ends of a series of vials, a series of resilient stop arms near the opposite side wall, adapted to prevent endwise movement of the vials in one direction, and provided with holding-down shoulders adapted to engage the outer ends of the vials, and a series of springs adapted to be held under tension by vials engaged with said shoulders, and to lift the outer ends of the vials when they are disengaged from the shoulders.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EVERETT B. CHAPMAN.

WVitnesses:

O. F. BROWN, P. W. PEzzE'r'rI.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

